Hot Plots    Is it possible to judge a book by its cover? Possibly not, but even so it is usually the cover we are drawn to, even if that includes the title. The books you think you’ll enjoy are the ones you like the look of - and possibly the first two pages. But often you get a surprise; you might read one (out of politeness) that someone has loaned to you and find it interesting in the extreme. Sometimes you might go purely on recommendation, or if you’re like the writer you might descend on the local library and suddenly find you run out of time and snatch some book at random - based purely on instinct and the title or back page synopsis - and then as you begin it, discover it’s full worth like a hidden jewel .... and only a reader would understand this statement. ‘The Concert Ticket’ Olga Grushin. Published by Penguin. This is in parts and style reminiscent of the Russian classics, very descriptive and poetic, which is probably not accidental to the fact that it’s set somewhere in the Soviet Block in the 20th century. Many people queue in line week after week to purchase a ticket for a one-off concert by a dissident composer. It is a story of the interplay between characters happening during the long wait for something which might not arrive. It describes well the oppression and cultural tyranny of that regime and the effect on its people. If you like plot driven novels it may not be for you, but it is dramatically intriguing via well etched characters and the tensions of human behaviour evoked by the need to have optimism and hope. ‘Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ Stieg Larson Published by Quercus - Maclehose Press Yes, it’s true that this is more than the average crime fiction. It is an extremely intelligent piece of literature. Between Crime and Thriller in genre it embraces a whole new way of looking at the mystery novel. Set mostly in Sweden it encompasses the world of industrial espionage and describes graphically what rural Sweden is like so that it makes you want to visit. If you want quick thrills and you get bored by detail then it isn’t for you. It builds around character and psychological profile as much as anything. Although it‘s obvious it has been written by someone with a journalistic background it somehow warms to a theme that draw the reader in after a good few chapters. You either like the protagonists or you don’t. If you do then it’s a compelling read. ‘Little Hands Clapping’ Dan Rhodes Published by Cannongate A tale told in such a surreal way that it’s lifted from the macabre and the grotesque to a different level. Humour at its darkest and most bleak, but like all that genre it can be read without laughing if you so desire. There is a suspiciously romantic side to it as well, and it flips the reader back and forth between the unending fragility of human optimism and the hapless indifference to the suffering of fellow kind which in some cases is invariably labelled as evil. One thing for sure, unless the writer has imitators you will never read anything quite like it. 'Woman With a White Umbrella’ Lyn Shea Published by Xlibris This is a novel of the supernatural order. It can be read also as a chronicle of lively British residents in a sleepy village amid the toils and traumas of contemporary life. Humorous and quirky it is in places profound within a comedic style of writing. Fast paced and uplifting it gives a a new angle to the question of death and the afterlife and a contrasting backdrop to the varying spiritual beliefs of the old and new religions. As with all ghost stories it can be taken light-heartedly or it can be seen as providing greater insight to the potential of a multidimensional universe. Enjoyable not least for the warmth and foible of its characters it is readable on a few levels. ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ Stieg Larson Published by Maclehose Press The second in the Millennium trilogy, this is more gruesome, gritty and violent than the first (Girl With dragon Tattoo). Basically it is a whodunit at it’s most spectacular but if you’re not prepared to read the third one then maybe don’t bother. The first in the Millennium series could be read as a novel on its own but this one does not have the same privilege. It deepens and broadens the heroine’s potential character although you may feel you still don’t know much about her in the real sense at the end of the book, simply what she can do. It is a journalistic style of writing full of facts, dates and reported events and the pace does not pick up speed until two thirds way through. But for people who love mystery, forensics and crime at its ripest then it is probably a must read ‘Slightly Scandalous’ Mary Balogh Published by Platkus For anyone who likes Regency Romance this is a gem. It has quirky and three dimensional warm characters, with an interesting and believable sort of plot. It is not superficial escapism by any stretch. The writer has written a series of ‘Slightly’ books - all of the Regency period and her work easily rivals authors such as Georgette Hayer but adds a more modern slant to the writing style. Extremely enjoyable if you like that sort of thing. It’s a little like eating rum truffle; you do it once in a while (unless you are an aficionado of this genre) and it is scrumptious. ** If you arrived at this page via a search engine and would like a sample online tarot reading from lyn, click the link below. www.Tarot-Online.net or vist Lyn Shea's Astrology siter www.perceptivity.co.uk